List of Symposia

25 Core Symposium Themes

Every accepted abstract will be given an oral presentation opportunity

The scientific program of the Asian Congress of Herpetology 2027 (ACH 2027) is designed to represent the extraordinary breadth of contemporary amphibian and reptile research—from species discovery and evolutionary biology to conservation, public health, emerging technologies, and the relationship between herpetofauna and human society.

ACH 2027 will feature 25 Core Scientific Symposium Themes. These themes provide a framework for abstract submission and program development; they are not fixed parallel tracks or permanently assigned meeting rooms. Depending on the number and scope of submitted abstracts, individual themes may be divided into multiple sessions, combined with closely related themes, or developed into focused Special Symposia.

Interdisciplinary contributions are particularly encouraged.

S01. Species Discovery, Taxonomy & Taxonomic Revisions

New species discoveries, taxonomic revisions, redescriptions, identification problems, nomenclature, species complexes, cryptic diversity, diagnostic characters, taxonomic methodologies, and other research addressing the recognition and documentation of amphibian and reptile diversity.

Particular attention is encouraged toward poorly studied Asian regions and taxonomic groups where fundamental biodiversity knowledge remains incomplete.

S02. Natural History Collections, Museums & Biodiversity Informatics

The role of museums and biological collections in documenting biodiversity and supporting taxonomy, evolution, ecology, and conservation.

Topics may include specimen-based research, collection management, digitization, historical collections, type specimens, tissue and genetic-resource collections, biobanking, biodiversity databases, data mobilization, collection accessibility, and the future of natural-history infrastructure in Asia.

S03. Integrative Taxonomy & Species Delimitation

Research combining multiple lines of evidence to understand species boundaries and evolutionary diversity.

Relevant approaches include morphology, molecular genetics, genomics, bioacoustics, behaviour, ecology, geography, osteology, reproductive biology, and statistical species-delimitation methods.

The symposium particularly encourages discussion of best practices for resolving complex or cryptic amphibian and reptile species groups.

S04. Morphology, Anatomy, Development & Functional Diversity

Research investigating the structure, development, and functional biology of amphibians and reptiles.

Topics may include comparative morphology, osteology, myology, developmental biology, ontogeny, functional anatomy, biomechanics, phenotypic variation, morphological evolution, and the relationship between form, function, ecology, and evolutionary history.

S05. Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics & Evolutionary Biology

Research addressing evolutionary relationships and processes across amphibians and reptiles using molecular, morphological, genomic, and integrative approaches.

Topics include molecular phylogenetics, phylogenomics, evolutionary genomics, molecular dating, trait evolution, adaptive evolution, comparative methods, evolutionary diversification, and methodological advances in reconstructing the tree of life.

S06. Island Evolution & Biogeography of Asian Herpetofauna

Asia's archipelagos provide exceptional natural laboratories for studying evolution.

This symposium welcomes research on island colonization, dispersal, vicariance, adaptive radiation, endemism, extinction, geological history, sea-level change, and diversification across regions including Sundaland, Wallacea, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and other Asian island systems.

S07. Mountains, Sky Islands & High-Elevation Herpetofauna

Mountain systems contain some of Asia's most localized and poorly understood amphibian and reptile diversity.

Topics include Himalayan, Hengduan, Annamite, Western Ghats, Central Asian, Iranian Plateau, Japanese, Philippine, Indonesian, and other montane systems; elevational gradients; sky-island diversification; montane endemism; physiological adaptation; climate vulnerability; range shifts; and conservation of high-elevation species.

S08. Historical Biogeography, Diversification & Speciation

Research exploring how geological, climatic, ecological, and evolutionary processes have shaped the distribution and diversification of Asian amphibians and reptiles.

Topics may include plate tectonics, palaeogeography, dispersal, vicariance, riverine barriers, mountain formation, climatic oscillations, refugia, range evolution, speciation, secondary contact, and comparative biogeography.

S09. Behavioural Ecology, Communication & Reproductive Biology

Research on how amphibians and reptiles behave, communicate, reproduce, and interact with their environments.

Topics include courtship, mating systems, parental care, territoriality, social behaviour, acoustic and visual communication, chemical ecology, reproductive cycles, nesting, oviposition, viviparity, mate choice, sexual selection, and behavioural adaptation.

S10. Population Ecology, Demography, Movement & Long-Term Monitoring

Studies examining population structure, abundance, survival, recruitment, movement, dispersal, home range, migration, metapopulation dynamics, demographic change, and long-term population trends.

The symposium welcomes methodological developments involving mark-recapture, telemetry, occupancy modelling, population modelling, automated monitoring, and long-term ecological datasets.

S11. Amphibian Ecology, Biology & Natural History

A broad symposium dedicated to amphibian biology.

Topics may include habitat use, reproduction, larval ecology, tadpole biology, bioacoustics, feeding, microhabitat selection, physiological ecology, life histories, community ecology, freshwater systems, natural-history observations, and poorly documented aspects of Asian amphibian biology.

S12. Reptile Ecology, Biology & Natural History

A broad symposium covering ecological and natural-history research on snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and other reptiles.

Topics include habitat use, diet, reproduction, thermoregulation, movement, activity patterns, predator-prey interactions, community ecology, physiological ecology, life histories, and significant natural-history observations.

S13. Urban Herpetology & Human-Modified Landscapes

As Asian landscapes become increasingly urbanized and transformed, many amphibians and reptiles must persist within cities, agricultural areas, plantations, infrastructure corridors, and other human-dominated environments.

This symposium addresses urban ecology, adaptation, habitat use, road ecology, artificial habitats, agricultural landscapes, urban biodiversity, rescue and relocation, mortality, citizen observations, and the ecological consequences of rapid land-use change.

S14. Protected Areas, Conservation Planning & Biodiversity Management

Research and practice relating to the conservation and management of amphibians and reptiles at species, habitat, landscape, and protected-area scales.

Topics include protected-area effectiveness, conservation prioritization, systematic conservation planning, Key Biodiversity Areas, habitat management, monitoring, environmental impact assessment, conservation policy, and integration of herpetofaunal data into land-use planning.

S15. Community-Based Conservation, Herpetological Tourism & Local Stewardship

Successful conservation frequently depends upon the people who share landscapes with wildlife.

This symposium explores how amphibians and reptiles can contribute to community-based conservation, sustainable tourism, environmental education, and local livelihoods while ensuring that wildlife and habitats are not compromised by tourism activities. Topics include guided herping, reptile and amphibian watching, wildlife photography, turtle tourism, community ecotourism, local ecological knowledge, citizen science, guide training, benefit-sharing, ethical observation and photography, sensitive locality management, visitor impacts, and the development of responsible standards for herpetological tourism.

S16. Threatened Species Recovery, Reintroduction & Conservation Breeding

Approaches to preventing extinction and recovering threatened amphibian and reptile populations.

Topics include Red List assessments, conservation action planning, population reinforcement, translocation, reintroduction, conservation breeding, assurance colonies, head-starting, veterinary management, genetic management, post-release monitoring, and evaluation of conservation outcomes.

S17. Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Pollution & Emerging Threats

Research addressing present and future environmental pressures affecting Asian herpetofauna.

Topics include climate change, extreme weather, altered rainfall, drought, sea-level rise, habitat loss and fragmentation, fire, pollution, pesticides, infrastructure development, mining, invasive species, road mortality, environmental contaminants, and cumulative threats.

The symposium particularly welcomes studies translating threat assessment into practical conservation responses.

S18. Conservation Genetics, Population Genomics & Genetic Management

Application of molecular and genomic approaches to conservation.

Topics include genetic diversity, population structure, gene flow, inbreeding, demographic history, landscape genetics, conservation genomics, genetic rescue, management units, captive-population genetics, forensic genetics, and molecular approaches for identifying conservation priorities.

S19. Snakebite, Venom, Toxinology & Human Health

A cross-disciplinary symposium connecting herpetology with medicine and public health.

Topics include venomous snake diversity and distribution, venom evolution and variation, toxinology, snakebite epidemiology, clinical management, prevention, antivenom effectiveness, antivenom development and accessibility, next-generation therapeutics, community education, medically important species identification, and collaboration among herpetologists, clinicians, toxinologists, public-health specialists, and antivenom producers.

S20. Wildlife Trade, Trafficking, Sustainable Use & CITES

Research addressing legal and illegal trade in amphibians and reptiles and its implications for conservation, livelihoods, biosecurity, and policy.

Topics include international and domestic trade networks, pet trade, harvesting, sustainable use, trafficking, laundering, online trade, wildlife markets, CITES implementation, enforcement, forensic identification, supply chains, captive breeding, consumer behaviour, and evidence-based approaches to reducing unsustainable exploitation.

S21. Human–Herpetofauna Interactions, Conflict & Coexistence

Research examining relationships between people and amphibians or reptiles.

Topics include human-snake conflict, crocodilian conflict, fear and perception, rescue practices, relocation, wildlife mortality, cultural attitudes, traditional beliefs, risk communication, community responses, coexistence strategies, and evidence-based approaches to reducing negative interactions between people and wildlife.

S22. Wildlife Disease, One Health & Biosecurity

Emerging diseases can have profound consequences for wildlife populations, ecosystems, captive collections, trade, and potentially wider health systems.

This symposium covers amphibian chytridiomycosis, ranaviruses, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, reptile pathogens, parasites, emerging infections, disease ecology, diagnostics, surveillance, wildlife trade and pathogen movement, quarantine, biosecurity, veterinary herpetology, and One Health approaches.

S23. eDNA, Genomics, Bioacoustics & Emerging Biodiversity Technologies

New technologies are rapidly changing how amphibians and reptiles are detected, identified, monitored, and studied.

Topics include environmental DNA and RNA, metabarcoding, genomic sequencing, portable molecular technologies, automated acoustic monitoring, passive sensors, camera systems, biologging, drones, digital field tools, molecular diagnostics, and emerging technologies with applications to herpetological research and conservation.

S24. Artificial Intelligence, GIS, Remote Sensing & Computational Herpetology

Applications of computational and spatial technologies to amphibian and reptile science.

Topics include artificial intelligence, machine learning, automated species recognition, computer vision, acoustic classification, GIS, species-distribution modelling, ecological niche modelling, remote sensing, satellite data, landscape modelling, spatial prioritization, big-data approaches, and integration of computational tools into biodiversity research.

S25. Education, Scientific Communication, Capacity Building & the Future of Asian Herpetology

A forward-looking symposium examining how Asia can strengthen its next generation of herpetologists and scientific institutions.

Topics include university education, field training, mentorship, scientific writing, publication skills, research ethics, museum training, taxonomy capacity, international student exchange, institutional partnerships, citizen science, public communication, journal development, open science, responsible use of artificial intelligence, and strategies for strengthening scientific leadership across Asia.

The symposium will also provide a forum to discuss the future direction of Asian herpetological collaboration beyond ACH 2027.

Some research will naturally fit more than one symposium. Authors should select the symposium that best represents the primary question or application of their work.

The Scientific Committee may recommend transfer to another symposium where this improves thematic coherence.

Studies involving interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged, particularly those connecting herpetology with public health and medicine; agriculture and food systems; biotechnology; environmental management; engineering and biomimetics; artificial intelligence and data science; economics and sustainable use; climate science; social sciences; education; policy; and conservation practice.

In addition to the 25 Core Symposium Themes, ACH welcomes proposals for Special Symposia.

Universities, research institutions, scientific societies, conservation organizations, specialist groups, government agencies, journals, professional networks, and other appropriate organizations may propose focused symposia addressing emerging or specialized areas of herpetological science.

Special Symposium proposals should normally include:

• proposed symposium title;

• names and affiliations of the organizer(s);

• a brief scientific rationale;

• proposed scope and objectives;

• anticipated number of presentations;

• potential invited contributors, where available; and

• explanation of the symposium's relevance to Asian or global herpetology.

Special Symposia may address taxonomic groups, geographic regions, emerging scientific questions, conservation challenges, methodological advances, or interdisciplinary applications not sufficiently represented within the Core Symposium Themes.

Approval will be subject to scientific relevance, expected participation, available program capacity, and avoidance of unnecessary duplication.

The Scientific Committee reserves the right to recommend modification, combination, expansion, or rescheduling of proposed symposia according to the final abstract submissions and overall Congress program.

ACH 2027 is intentionally designed as a broad congress.

Whether your research concerns a newly discovered frog, the evolutionary history of a snake lineage, turtle conservation, crocodilian conflict, amphibian disease, venom biotechnology, wildlife trade, museum collections, artificial intelligence, environmental DNA, climate change, or the training of the next generation of scientists, there should be a place for that work within the Congress.

25 Core Symposium Themes.
Special Symposia.
One connected Asian herpetological community.

Every accepted abstract is given an oral presentation opportunity